Demolition of Palestinian homes spikes on eve peace negotiations

Red Cross declares it will stop giving tents to Palestinian homeless due to Israeli obstruction

There
has been a noticeable spike in the demolition of Palestinian properties
on the part of the Israeli government. It's a cause of alarm for many
aid organizations, seeing as it coincides with renewed U.S.-backed peace
negotiations.

Various groups report that the 663 Palestinian structures torn down last year, the highest number in five years, 122 were built with international donor aid.

Highlights

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The number of demolitions increased by almost half, 25 aid organizations have said. There is also the issue of displacement of Palestinians -- by nearly three-quarters between July 2013, when the talks began, and the end of the year, compared to the same period in 2012.

In response, the International Red Cross has announced that it would stop delivering tents to Palestinians that have been made homeless by demolitions in the Jordan border region of the occupied West Bank. The Red Cross cites Israeli obstruction and confiscation of aid as the reason why.

"International and local aid organizations have faced increasingly severe restrictions in responding to the needs created by the unlawful demolition of civilian property, in violation of Israel's obligation to facilitate the effective delivery of aid," the groups, which included Oxfam and Christian Aid, said in a statement.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem, along with the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 war. Israel quit Gaza in 2005. The enclave is now governed by Hamas Islamists opposed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's peace-making strategy.

Palestinians say they want over half a million Jewish settlers there, along with Israeli soldiers, to leave the occupied territories. Israel, citing historical claims on the biblical lands, bluntly refuses.

The proposed eastern border of a future independent Palestinian state, the Jordan Valley has been especially contentious as Israel insists on keeping an army presence there after any peace accord. Palestinians maintain that a temporary international force should do the job, with Israel observing.

The Palestinian population in the region has declined over the past several decades as the water supply from the River Jordan has been diverted and Israel set up military zones and settlements.

"They came in large numbers with their armored vehicles but that will not break our will, the popular resistance will continue and will be victorious and we will return," lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the sit-in, said.

The Israeli military has denounced the protesters as "provocateurs" and said their evacuation was prompted by stone-throwing attacks on a nearby highway "and other legal considerations."

Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for DECEMBER 2016
Universal: End to Child-Soldiers: That the scandal of child-soldiers may be eliminated the world over.
Evangelization: Europe: That the peoples of Europe may rediscover the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Gospel which gives joy and hope to life.

Comments

Check out this video of Russian forces ending the career of an ISIS leader. Soldiers suppress the occupants of the building before deploying a robot to safely complete the mission. LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In a video that captures the moment an ISIS ... continue reading

Did a storm of Biblical proportions protect Israel from ISIS? Some people are saying yes, including an Israeli news outlet following the seemingly miraculous event. LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Pictures of a biblical storm are making the rounds in Israel as ... continue reading

On February 23, 2015, ISIS forces fell upon 35 Christian towns at the same time, kidnapping thousands.With no armies, countries or even their own government offering help, an unlikely hero was forced to take matters into his own hands. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) ... continue reading

Islamic terror group ISIS has announced the launch of a holy war the same day Republican nominee Donald Trump will be stepping into the presidency. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - U.S. special forces will remain on high alert as Trump takes his place as the 45th ... continue reading

A Christian charity and watchdog group reported Coptic Christians in Egypt have become the latest victims of radical Islamists. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to International Christian Concern (ICC), the village of Manshiet El-Naghamish was attacked by ... continue reading

An unusual jar has made its debut in Israel. The formerly-shattered clay vessel is topped with a figurine that looks curiously like "The Thinker." LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- "An ancient clay vessel has been presented to the world by the Israeli Antiques ... continue reading

Air raids have been conducted in Syria for months but one of the most recent strikes hit a hospital, leaving doctors scrambling to save babies trapped in incubators. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Aljazeera, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ... continue reading

A teenager recruited by ISIS, said to belong to the "Cubs of the Caliphate," killed his entire family by mistake. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Iraq News, a local source told Alsumaria News that the teen was a Cub of the Caliphate, children raised ... continue reading

As children return home to their villages in northern Iraq, they are expected to take a very important class. How they do in that class will determine if they live or die. LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - No class in the world is as serious as the one offered to ... continue reading

Catholic Life

A special message from Catholic Online

If you can afford to give $25, you can help our new Catholic Online School fulfill it's mission to deliver a free world-class Catholic education for anyone, anywhere.

If you can afford to give $25, you can help our new Catholic Online School fulfill it's mission to deliver a free world-class Catholic education for anyone, anywhere.

By equipping our young people with a sound education, rooted in the Gospel message, the Person of Jesus Christ, and rich traditions of our faith, we ensure that they have the foundation to live morally in our complex modern world.

We rely on support from people like you to sponsor Catholic education worldwide.